Moon Phase
by white raven
Summary: A RLHG fiction based upon the challenge topics listed on the Live Journal community, 30minutefics.
1. Through Adult Eyes

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters and places are the property of J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros. and any other entity who has legal claim to the Harry Potter universe. No insult or injury is intended in the writing and publishing of this fanfiction, nor is any money being made.

Author's Note: **Moon Phase** is a series of installments written in response to the Challenge topics presented on the Live Journal community **30minutefics**. The first installment begins with Challenge #26, and then jumps to Challenge #45 where it will continue in sequential order. Each installment (chapter) will be updated as the owners of **30minutefics **present the new challenge every Sunday.

First Installment Challenge #26 – The Diary of... 

_Title – Through Adult Eyes_

_Rating – G_

_Pairing – Remus/Hermione_

_Completed time – 30 minutes, no editing_

_Installment summary – Hermione meets up with an old friend from the past and puts her thoughts down on paper._

Day 1

This is silly. I've never been one to do this sort of thing and I think it just invites trouble. But where else to express some troubling thoughts? We met again tonight. Just dinner and a sedate walk around the park. He's the same yet different. Or maybe I'm different. Most likely that's the case. I remember thinking when I first saw him all those years ago that he was nice, intelligent, with a huge heart and eyes to fall into. But rather old really. Not so this evening. It's funny how a decade can make such a difference.

Day 2

I am really too old to be writing in one of these. I can just imagine H and R's faces now if they saw this. But it's helped. I actually looked forward to coming home tonight and writing in it. I thought about the dinner again. Merlin, it was JUST dinner! He's only changed in that he's a little more lined, a little more weary, and now a lot more attractive in my eyes. He's always been a gentleman. That never changed, and there's something wonderfully unique about him, beyond the obvious. I liked the way he held my hand when he helped me from my chair. He has a way of curling his fingers around your hand that's almost like a full body hug. I felt it all the way down into my toes. I'm an idiot.

Day 6

Should I owl him? What do I say? Thank you for the wonderful meal and the company? I already told him that at least twice when he walked me to my flat. How many times can you gush about one event and not sound like a complete nutter? We're all supposed to meet at Hogwarts this weekend. I have so much work to catch up on. "Brilliance" has its price in expectation levels. The Ministry has serfs, not employees.

Day 10

Well, that was interesting. It was fun to see everyone. I would swear that Dumbledore has a small private stash of youth potion tucked away. The man hasn't aged a bit since I last saw him. Of course I made a fool of myself by spilling pumpkin juice in my lap. And who but Yours Truly would be there to help me clean up? S may call it silly wand-waving but that can be argued depending on who's waving the wand. Fanciful imagination or wishful thinking. Call it what you like, but I swear it felt like R's hand drifting over me as he recited that restoration charm. I'm sure my blush must have set the curtains on fire. Why is it that I can be clever with books and brave with dark lords but present me with someone I find attractive and I resort to complete drooling idiocy.

Day 11

He owled me. Dinner again. Apparation to his favorite meditation spot. Forget coy. I said yes. I think I scared his poor owl leaping for the post when it arrived. There are times the anachronisms of wizard society are a blessing. If he'd made a Muggle phone call, I might have shrieked my acceptance in his ear, and how embarassing might that have been?

Day 16

What do I wear? this wasn't an issue before. We were just friends meeting, discussing old times, old adventures, new lives. I didn't care so much if my hair continues to defy the laws of physics or if I wasn't dressed to "highlight my attributes" as the fashion magazines are so fond of writing. Now it matters. It REALLY matters. I want to look nice, but don't want to appear obvious. And what if he laughed? Wait, he wouldn't laugh. He's too polite. But I could tell. I would see it in his eyes no matter how hard he tried to hide it. This is so hard!

Day 16 – second entry

This has to be infatuation. It must be. Or I have lost my mind. How else do I explain obsessing on the way he handles his fork when he eats? Or how he closes his mouth around the prongs in just such a way that I blush and think of things that have nothing to do with food and everything to do with lips and tongues? He hugged me goodnight this time. Not hard, just casual, but I loved the feel of his hands. He has broad shoulders. I never noticed that when I was younger. And he smells wonderful!

Completed in 30 minutes. No editing.


	2. Wondering

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters and places are the property of J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros. and any other entity who has legal claim to the Harry Potter universe. No insult or injury is intended in the writing and publishing of this fanfiction, nor is any money being made.

Author's Note: **Moon Phase** is a series of installments written in response to the Challenge topics presented on the Live Journal community **30minutefics**. The first installment begins with Challenge #26, and then jumps to Challenge #45 where it will continue in sequential order. Each installment (chapter) will be updated as the owners of **30minutefics **present the new challenge every Sunday.

Second Installment Challenge #45 – 10 years after... 

_Title – Wondering_

_Rating – G_

_Pairing – Remus/Hermione_

_Completed time – 29 minutes, no editing_

_Installment summary – Remus Lupin considers the changes in Hermione Granger._

It was difficult to believe at times. Ten years had passed in a blink of an eye. Within that decade there had been such upheaval in his life. Remus supposed he should be used to it by now, but the chaos of those years seemed particularly disheartening. A war, the redemption of a friend and then his death, the knowledge that someone innocent had lost years in a man-made hell, and someone guilty went free. Children grew up too quickly and adults aged too soon. The triumph of Voldemort's defeat sometimes seemed lost in the fall-out of the aftermath.

Still, the last two years had been relatively peaceful for him, at least as peaceful as they could be for an outcast in society. He sometimes suffered from bouts of depression, even as he reprimanded himself for the uselessness of his melancholy. But lonliness weighed heavily on his shoulders, and he wondered if he could bear this continued inner isolation and still keep his sanity.

One bright ray of hope continued to assail him, even though he tried to ruthlessly squelch its existence. Remus turned away from his place at the window and stared at the single leaf of parchment resting on his desk. It was a message, an invitation and a profound wish. He had not expected to find Hermione Granger such pleasant company after all this time. Always bright, strong-minded and very brave, he had admired her resilience in the face of circumstances that would have made wiser, more mature adults turn and run. She had never bowed before the prejudices of an anachronistic society, gaining respect from her wizard peers by the sheer tenacity of her nature. Brilliance got you to the starting gate. Endurance took you across the finish line and Hermione possessed a wealth of both.

It had startled him to some degree, seeing her again, a self-assured young woman, the last vestiges of childhood vanished. In his mind's eye, she had retained the appearance of a teenager, never aging in the years that passed since he last saw her. So it had taken him a few seconds to recognize the young woman who smiled at him with dazzling warmth and called him by his first name. The wild hair had been wrestled into a braid and she was a little taller than he remembered. Physically, there was little difference, but she carried herself with a greater confidence and her brown eyes measured him with a look that let him know this was no longer a child, but a woman. And an interesting one at that.

They agreed to meet for dinner, and the time flew as they talked about everything and nothing. He wasn't surprised to learn of her work with the Ministry. While she didn't speak of it, he knew she was highly regarded. The hard years of the war had not diminished her exuberance for life, and he felt both glad for her and wearied that he had not held up so well as she.

She was pretty, in her way, and Remus knew he saw her with eyes that had always admired the child and was now fascinated with the woman. The date, if one chose to call it that, was soon over and he walked her home. There had been something in the air between them when he said goodnight.

"Wishful thinking, old boy," he murmured to himself as he left her at the door of her flat, but the sense that she saw him differently as well remained and he pondered it through the days that led up to the short reunion at Hogwarts. She seemed shy with him that second meeting, and he hoped he did not embarrass her with any undo attention. But she made a point to sit next to him, though she said little.

Another date, another dinner and an embrace at her door. Hermione Granger with her extraordinary intelligence also had a form that seemed to fit perfectly within the circle of his arms. She smelled of cold, winter air and chamomile, and he wondered what she would do if he, a man far too old and beaten down by life were to kiss her. He didn't, but as he once again left her to return home, he still wondered.

The parchment lay on the desk, beckoning him to finish. Remus ran the tip of one finger over the dry ink and considered what else to say. Maybe it would be best to leave it as it was and owl it to her.

His scrawl was neat and straight on the paper, casual but polite, never hinting at the deepening of his emotions or interest.

"_Hermione, would you be interested in a midnight ride?"_

Completed 29 minutes – no editing


	3. Curiosity Kills The Cat

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters and places are the property of J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros. and any other entity who has legal claim to the Harry Potter universe. No insult or injury is intended in the writing and publishing of this fanfiction, nor is any money being made.

Author's Note: **Moon Phase** is a series of installments written in response to the Challenge topics presented on the Live Journal community **30minutefics**. The first installment begins with Challenge #26, and then jumps to Challenge #45 where it will continue in sequential order. Each installment (chapter) will be updated as the owners of **30minutefics **present the new challenge every Sunday.

Third Installment

_Challenge #46: Lust_

_Title: Curiosity kills the cat_

_Rating: PG_

_Pairing: Remus/Hermione_

_Completed: 35 minutes with some editing_

_Installment summary – Hermione sticks her hand where she shouldn't._

Mum would be horrified if she witnessed my behaviour when the owl delivered Remus' note. Another meeting. A _midnight ride_. It was intriguing, I'll admit, and I suppose I never really considered him as mysterious. So how could I say no?

After realizing what the midnight ride entailed, I regretted it. But just for a moment. I'm not exactly fond of brooms or heights but there he stood, ever so polite, dressed for the cold in heavy robes. I know he caught the look on my face at first sight of that broom because his face stiffened and he tried to push the thing behind his back.

"It's just a thought, Hermione. We can do something else, if you'd prefer."

The tone of his voice was still friendly, but I could hear the disappointment, and I was so looking forward to seeing him. He was worth a scary broom ride. I just intended to keep my eyes shut the entire time we were up in the air.

It really wasn't so bad. Actually, it was quite wonderful. I chose to ride behind him and am certain I broke a rib or two because I held onto him so tightly. Thank Merlin, he kept it sedate. Sorry to say but while his idea of showing me the city lights at night from an aerial view was a good one, I didn't pay much attention. When I wasn't smothering the urge to screech, I spent the time wondering what he felt like beneath the layers of robes and street clothing.

I could feel muscles tense and shift beneath my arms and hands. Remus Lupin was lean, maybe a little too thin, but I rather like that. And he still carries that amazing scent. I'll admit that burying my face in his back had less to do with trying to block out the frightening sight of being far too high in the air and more to do with just breathing him in and not being obvious about it.

When we landed, I nearly fell off the broom, but he saved me from a spill, laughing as I stumbled against him and nearly pitched us both into the dirt. He's lovely when he laughs. That worn look disappears and he shrugs off the weight of life. I laughed with him, but it was forced. If I didn't laugh, I would have just stood there ogling him, looking like a complete silly cow.

I accepted his invitation to return to his home for tea but refused to mount the broom again. Apparation is a fine thing, indeed. My impression of Remus' house was that it was like him. Warm, inviting, a little shabby around the edges, but promising something intimate and loving. It held secrets, but not threatening ones. Only ones that made you think of opening presents at Christmas or birthdays, certain that what you'll find inside will make you smile and bring you joy.

He helped me with my robes, always the gentleman. And I would swear it wasn't my imagination that he leaned closer and touched my hair. Oh, what kingdom would I not have sold to have the courage to turn around and kiss him. A fat lot of good all that cleverness did me then. A touch of charm or a provocative smile might have served me better. Oh well, what God giveth, God taketh away. At least, I think that's the verse.

I'm sure my blush turned me redder than the stripes of a Gryffindor tie, but if he noticed, Remus was too polite to say anything and only offered me a seat wherever I chose. I chose the couch and prayed he wouldn't take the chair. When he went to the kitchen to brew the tea, I stared around me, taking in the room with its haphazard comfort. Something caught my eye in an unobtrusive corner of the room and I rose to take a look. It was a pensieve and swirled with the silvery waters of memories.

Curiosity is said to kill cats. And ruin the hopes of foolish women. One would think that as I grew older, I would learn. Knowledge doesn't always equate to wisdom. I can't really say why my common sense chose to desert me at that moment, but I had the unaccountable urge to know what rested in that pensieve. Thoughts of me, maybe? It was silly and stupid and I could scream with the idiocy of my actions.

The memories within the bowl had nothing to do with me at all. They were horrible, inhuman, primal and savage. Sometimes they were just flashes of thought, of pain and a twisting body that struggled to retain a mind of logic and reason. A man transformed into a beast. Not just an animal, but a thing of violence and deadly force. The eyes of the creature were distant, lit with something brutal and I could feel every urge in the rippling fur of its body as it snarled and howled.

KILL!

I think my nose began to bleed then.

KILL!

And I gasped and wanted to run as I could feel its desperate craving for blood and the need to chase down prey and rend it apart.

KILL!

I didn't hear myself cry out, but someone else did and I was abruptly jerked back into reality by the feel of a hand on my shoulder. I was crying and bleeding and cried even harder at the look on Remus' face.

Utter defeat. Complete disappointment. Disgust.

Brilliant, Hermione. Bloody brilliant. What will you do for an encore?

Completed 35 minutes – small amount of editing.


End file.
